A
year ago, after four losing seasons
in five years, we were wondering if
Joe Paterno's stubborn pride was ruining
the program he'd spent his life building.
He proved just about all of us wrong
by doing things he'd never done, such
as handing more responsibility to
his assistants and building his offense
around a group of (true) freshmen.
Penn State's turnaround from 4-7 to
an 11-1 season that included a share
of the Big Ten crown and a No. 3 national
ranking was the feel-good story of
the year in college football.

Like
in 2002, when his program appeared
to bounce back with a 9-4 season,
Paterno (2005 AP Coach of the Year)
missed an excellent chance to walk
away. Maybe, at 79, he wants one more
title. Maybe he's not sure what to
do with his time once he leaves coaching.
Maybe he just wants to get that elusive
win against Michigan. Whatever the
case, he's apparently sticking around
as long as he can and, like three
years ago, he must prove that his
program is back to stay after buoying
from multiple losing campaigns.

This
won't be like 2003, when they followed
up their first winning season in three
years by plummeting to a 3-9 mark,
their worst finish since the Great
Depression. There's an attitude that's
found its way back into the program,
a confident swagger that was missing
since the new millennium. More importantly,
there's a lot more talent on this
roster than there was in '03, especially
after Paterno has just landed his
second straight top-10 recruiting
class. "You guys know that I'm
not a guy who gets carried away with
anything," he said after the
Orange Bowl, "but I'm fairly
optimistic that we're going to be
a decent football team next year."

The
keys will be the transformation to
a Morelli-led offense and the revamping
of the O-line, D-line and secondary.
Improvement on special teams needs
to be addressed as well (for some
reason, Penn State uses a committee
approach in coaching its special teams).
That's a lot of things that have to
go right, and quickly. Last year's
team benefited from a relatively easy
early-season slate and lowered expectations,
but this fall's schedule has dates
at South Bend and the Horseshoe mixed
in with home tune-ups against upstarts
Akron and Youngstown State. Ergo,
there's not much time to get in a
groove. The Lions will then have to
play on the road against Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Purdue - teams hungry
for payback. They host Michigan, which
they've been thirsting to clobber
for 10 years.

Matching
last season's accomplishments seems
to be too much to ask. Eight or nine
wins and a New Year's Day bowl game
are much more realistic aims, though
even those are no gimme with all the
questions looming. This program hasn't
had back-to-back winning seasons since
1998 and '99. Accomplishing that feat
this fall would finish the statement
last year's team began, that Penn
State and Joe Pa are back on track.
It might not be the feel-good story
of the season, but it sure as heck
beats 3-9.

QuarterbackThe
offense/QB position undergoes another metamorphosis
as heavily hyped junior Anthony Morelli
takes over for Michael Robinson. Morelli,
who threw just two passes, is more of a
drop-back guy in the old-school Penn State
mold. He does have some speed, but don't
expect to see nearly as many QB draws. Morelli
has a better arm than Robinson, and a talented
group of receivers, so the passing game
will likely improve. The crucial element
that Morelli will have to replace is Robinson's
leadership and coolness. With early road
dates at Notre Dame and Ohio State, we'll
find out quickly how he responds behind
a rebuilt offensive line. There's nothing
backing up Morelli in terms of experience
as last year's third-stringer, Paul Cianciolo,
is even greener than Morelli. Pat Develin,
a four-star recruit out of Downingtown East
(Pa.), could jump in as the No. 2 guy. Though
it would have to be greatly simplified,
the offense wouldn't have to be radically
changed under Develin or Cianciolo - both
are strong-armed pocket passers who fit
the Morelli mold.

Running
BackThere's
plenty of stability here as senior all-America
candidate Tony Hunt returns, as does talented
backup Austin Scott. With Robinson's versatility
out of the mix, the quick, durable Hunt
will see a lot more counters and pitches
out of the spread, all while taking his
fair share of carries between the tackles
(this is still a Joe Paterno team, after
all). Hunt's explosiveness was sometimes
opened up by the big-play ability of Robinson
and then-freshmen receivers Derrick Williams,
Justin King, Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler
-- he averaged 6.0 yards per carry. He'll
get more of a chance to shine as defender’s
focus will shift more to him directly. Hunt
is also a valuable target out of the backfield
(fourth most catches in ’05). There's
some drop-off with Scott, but not much –
he is a smaller, quicker option who will
take some of the burden off Hunt. Fullback
BranDon Snow, an effective blocker who has
speed and needs to get the ball more, will
unfortunately have to be used more in pass
coverage as the line develops. Paterno would
die trying to establish the run, but this
modest crew will make sure Joe Pa stays
alive one more season.

ReceiverThis
unit might be more stacked than at any point
in the Paterno Era (and that's one long
era). The talented fab-four freshmen quartet
of Williams, King, Norwood and Butler return
as sophs, though King will likely spend
more of his time at corner than he did last
year. OC Hall finds plenty of ways to get
the ball to Williams -- a lightning quick
playmaker Paterno has dubbed one of the
best players in the nation (highest rated
recruit in ’05 for any position –
Rivals.com) -- including putting him in
the backfield, behind center, and utilizing
him on reverses and counters. Williams is
a yards-after-the-catch (YAC) guy; Butler's
a deep threat; and Norwood is your sure-handed
possession type. Terrell Golden seems to
be the oldest WR as a junior, and this deep
threat has size (6’3”) the youngsters
don’t. Paterno redshirted a pair of
promising receivers in Kevin Cousins and
James McDonald while signing Chris Bell,
a blue-chipper out of Virginia who is expected
to contribute immediately. As long as he
stays upright, Morelli will have plenty
of open targets who will open up the box
through which Hunt can then slash.

Tight
EndIn
this adjusted spread, Penn State will likely
go back to throwing at its tight ends a
little more. The rub is that senior Patrick
Hall, who backed up departed Isaac Smolko
last fall, has so far primarily been a blocker.
He will still see some goal-line touches
(two TDs in ’05), but look for redshirt
freshmen Mickey Shuler and Brennan Coakley,
or incoming recruit Andrew Quarless (4.5
40-speed), to factor more directly into
the offense production. Hall's blocking
will be more vital, though, as the first
priority will be keeping Morelli off his
back and making foes respect the run.

Offensive
LineDevelopment
of offensive linemen at Penn State tends
to take a while (sometimes three seasons),
hence there's plenty of reason for concern
here. The O-line loses four starters. Speed
at the skill positions won't mean much if
there are four or five defenders consistently
in the backfield. There is some solace -
all-Big Ten LT Levi Brown, who opted to
skip the NFL Draft to remain in school,
is again the rock who will defend Morelli's
blindside. Two of the four guys penciled
in as the new starters are redshirt juniors,
and the other are two redshirt sophs, so
they've had plenty of time to grow. How
quickly they grow into a cohesive unit is
the question that, once answered, will go
a long way toward defining this Nittany
Lion squad. This year’s recruiting
class has three four-star studs, so don’t
rule out the same kind of move that was
unprecedented until last year – the
one where Joe Pa opts for true froshes to
secure holes in an increasingly leaking
dyke. And there are plenty of holes to fill
here. The program has taken some criticism
for an odd set up in which Dick Anderson
coaches the guards and centers, while Bill
Kenney handles tackles and tight ends. This
is a chance to quiet those critics.

OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
The keys are Morelli's growth into the starting
role, and how quickly the offensive line
gels. The latter could complicate the former,
which could ruin a potentially potent offense,
but Morelli has the legs and the playmaking
mind to avoid early OL growing “pains”.
Give Paterno credit for finally focusing
on recruiting athletes (speed/strength over
size), and for handing Xs and Os over to
assistants more adept at today’s subtle
complexities (not that Joe doesn’t
get things, just why does such a great motivator
need to distract himself with minute detail
for which others are better suited). Players
such as Hunt and Williams have enlivened
a spread attack that fits the image of traditionally
conservative Penn State like Nelly fits
in at the Grand Ole Opry. But, as in any
offense, you have to open holes and protect
the passer. With Robinson under center,
this scheme worked, so until real games
occur, the jury will be out on how State
does with a new field general. If this offense
(especially the line) can't do the basics,
all that speed and talent won't make nearly
as much of an impact.

WR
Derrick Williams

PENN
STATE 2006 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters/Key
Players

OFFENSE

QB

Anthony
Morelli-Jr (6-4, 214)

Paul
Cianciolo-So (6-4, 224)

FB

BranDon
Snow-Sr (6-1, 242)

Matt
Hahn-Jr (6-0, 219)

TB

Tony
Hunt-Sr (6-2, 219)

Austin
Scott-Sr (6-0, 212)

WR

Derrick
Williams-So (6-0, 201)

Terrell
Golden-Jr (6-3, 212)
James McDonald-Fr (6-2, 189)

WR

Deon
Butler-So (5-10, 163)

Jordan
Norwood-So (5-10, 160)

TE

Patrick
Hall-Sr (6-2, 251)

Jordan
Lyons-So (6-5, 248)

OT

Levi
Brown-Sr (6-5, 324)

Chris
Auletta-Jr (6-4, 300)

OG

Gerald
Cadogan-So (6-5, 302)

Rich
Ohmberger-So (6-2, 289)

C

A.Q.
Shipley-Jr (6-1, 292)

Patrick
Weber-Sr (6-1, 271)

OG

Robert
Price-Sr (6-0, 298)

Greg
Harrison-So (6-5, 283)

OT

John
Shaw-Sr (6-4, 294)

Mark
Farris-Sr (6-6, 286)

K

Kevin
Kelly-So (5-7, 175)

..

2006
DEFENSE

Defensive
LineLike
the O-line, this unit is starting fresh
after the loss of three (including all-American
end Tamba Hali). The pass rush will undoubtedly
take at least a small step back, exacerbating
the challenge of a rebuilt secondary. With
one of the nation's best linebacking corps,
expect defensive coordinator Tom Bradley
to employ a lot more 3-4 looks to utilize
that strength. Jay Alford, a steady run-stopper,
returns inside, while senior Jim Shaw (Rice
transfer) and junior Ed Johnson should provide
plenty of size and strength. Soph A.Q. Shipley
swapped sides of the ball and took advantage
of his few chances. Shipley is ready to
break out even more, so there are plenty
of hungry underclassmen (five four-star
recruits in this year’s new class)
pushing those already slated. There's a
lack of speed here, something for which
the LBs will compensate. The PSU faithful
should expect some struggles early, but
they shouldn't panic as this program has
been effective at reloading along the defensive
front through the years.

LinebackerLed
by Butkus Award winner Paul Posluszny, this
group is arguably the best in the history
of Linebacker U., or at least the top trio
since of Arrington-Short-Morrison 1998-99.
OLBs Posluszny and Dan Connor and MLB Tim
Shaw are aggressive, hard-hitting studs
who cover a lion’s share of territory
-- opponents averaged 10.3 yards per catch
and just 2.5 yards per carry. True soph
Sean Lee, who performed admirably during
the Orange Bowl when Posluszny was injured,
should be the fourth backer in the 3-4 (Connor
would move inside). With the line and secondary
revamping, these guys will be counted on
to do even more. This unit will shoulder
more responsibility for containing the run,
pressuring the QB and shutting down the
short passing game, at least until the D-line
and secondary develops. They can handle
such tasks, but spreading them too thin
would prove disastrous for all 11 on D.

Defensive
Back
Besides
the O-line, this unit is the biggest area
of concern in Happy Valley. The entire starting
four of a rather special group departed,
a group that led the Big Ten and ranked
No. 14 in defensive pass efficiency. Bradley
will have to water down his sophisticated
schemes for this inexperienced group, though
he'll have some good athletes with which
to work, beginning with King at corner and
former receiver Donnie Johnson at free safety.
It'd be nice if these guys could settle
in against some early season cupcakes, but
they get to go up against Notre Dame in
Week 2 and Ohio State in Week 4, both on
the road! Maybe practicing against Williams
and the other PSU receivers will speed the
learning curve. A.J. Wallace might get the
“King treatment” – like
Justin in ’05, this true frosh (top
corner in this year’s class, like
King was last year) has the pedigree to
start right away and help immensely. If
not, Morelli and the offense will have to
score like Kobe Bryant for this team to
enter October with a top-25 ranking.

DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN With
his defense among the national leaders,
Bradley has emerged as the likely successor
to Paterno the past two seasons. If this
D finishes anywhere close to last year's
ranks (No. 7 run defense, No. 10 scoring
defense, No. 12 total defense, No. 8 in
sacks), the administration should give Paterno
his gold watch and hand the whistle over
to Bradley immediately, before he jumps
to another program. Realistically, the offense
will have to carry the mail, unlike the
previous few seasons, as the defense will
certainly drop off some. We'll see how much,
but expect early lumps to be just the kinds
of hard lessons that ultimately pay off
– whether those dividends come in
to help PSU this year or next will tell
all. The skilled group of LBs is certainly
capable of giving opposing coordinators
fits and making life easier for either the
D-line or the secondary, but helping both
might be a stretch even for these proven
warriors. This can still be a good defense,
but developments have to occur and fast.
PSU caught many sleeping in ’05 after
lulling annual foes the prior five years
(four of which were losing efforts), so
we will see how this side of the ball does
with teams gunning for them that much more.

LB
Paul Posluszny

PENN
STATE 2006 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters/Key
Players

DEFENSE

DE

Jim
Shaw-Sr (6-3, 260)

Mike
Lucian-So (6-2, 276)
Chris Rogers-So (6-2, 257)

DT

Jay
Alford-Sr (6-3, 288)

Steve
Roach-Sr (6-2, 304)

DT

Elijah
Robinson-So (6-2, 285)

Ed
Johnson-Sr (6-1, 290)

DE

Josh
Gaines-So (6-2, 258)

Jed
Hill-So (6-2, 251)

OLB

Paul
Posluszny-Sr (6-2, 229)

Sean
Lee-So (6-2, 221)

ILB

Tim
Shaw-Sr (6-1, 233)

Dontey
Brown-Jr (6-2, 231)

OLB

Dan
Connor-Jr (6-3, 220)

Tyrell
Sales-Jr (6-2, 233)

CB

Tony
Davis-So (5-10, 189)

Knowledge
Timmons-Fr (5-10, 181)

CB

Justin
King-So (6-0, 181)

Devin
Fentress-So (5-10, 165)

HERO

Nolan
McCready-Sr (6-0, 199)

Anthony
Scirrotto-So (6-0, 190)

SAF

Donnie
Johnson-Sr (6-0, 205)

Spencer
Ridenhour-So (6-0, 204)

P

Jeremy
Kapinos-Sr (6-1, 222)

..

2006
SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker
This facet could be a better one if sophomore
Kevin Kelly shakes off memories of that dismal
Orange Bowl performance in which he missed a pair
of chip-shots (both which prolonged the game).
He'd hit 15-of-20 before that, including 13-of-16
within 40. Kelly struggles to get it real deep
on kickoffs, but with so many athletes on the
roster, KO coverage should improve from seventh
in the conference.

Punter
One of the few bright spots on special teams continues
to be senior Jeremy Kapinos, who will give the
defense plenty of needed field-position help.
He ranked fifth in the Big Ten at 41.3 yards per
kick and had no blocks for the second straight
year. The influx of team speed sparked a dramatic
improvement in coverage, which figures to continue.

Return
Game
Derrick Williams stepped in on KRs and provided
a needed spark before getting injured late in
the season. Redshirt soph Rodney Kinlaw might
be the better option, though, after averaging
a stellar 29.6 yards on his eight tries. On punts,
defensive back Calvin Lowry is finally gone, opening
the door for Williams, Justin King or another
of the speed demons on the roster. There's big-play
potential here for a team that hasn't run one
back either way since 2002.